In the present state of technology is known the necessity to pack at greater speed in an area commonly called a packing zone, metallic rolling-mill stock, (section bars, bars, plates, etc.) that come from a rolling-mill plant after being cut into a pre-determined length to form the respective packages.
The formation of rolling-mill stock packages according the to the present invention occurs by means of stratification, that by superimposed layers.
In some cases it is also necessary to alternatively overturn the respective layers to carry out self-binding of the package. For example, when angles are formed in the package (an upright and an overturned layer respectively of "n" rolling-mill stock and "n-1" rolling-mill stock).
One can also verify the formation of a package of flat rolling-mill stock of convenient width by means of the advancement of one rolling-mill stock at a time.
The present invention makes specific reference to packing systems with suspended rolling-mill stock transfer means, as described in the patent applications of "S.I.M.A.C. S.p.A., identified as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/919,540 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,270.
In particular, this patent application and patent contemplate the use of:
a continuous transporting system of rolling-mill stock transverse to their pre-determined cut length, with advancement stopping means in at least one collecting station; PA1 transfer means of the rolling-mill stock with overhead collection with a series of suspended rotatable electromagnets, in association with lifting means that remove from below the feeding line the rolling-mill stock and lift them above the said feeding line, to supply them below or above the series of suspended electromagnets, the said series of suspended electromagnets oscillating from the collecting position above a packing zone to place the rolling-mill stock in a packing pocket. PA1 a continuous rolling-mill stock transporting system transverse to their pre-determined cut length, with advancement stopping means in at least one collecting station; PA1 rolling-mill stock transfer means with overhead collection by means of a suspended rotatable electromagnetic system, in association with lifting means that collects the rolling-mill stock from below the feeding line and raises them above the feeding line, supplies the rolling-mill stock above or below the suspended electromagnetic means, oscillating from the said collection position above a packing zone, placing the rolling-mill stock in a packing pocket. PA1 a) stopping of the advancement of a first rolling mill stock/layer of rolling-mill stock below the said double layer formation device and of a double rolling-mill stock layer below the suspended electromagnetic transfer means and above the lifting means; PA1 b) raising of the first rolling-mill stock/layer of rolling-mill stock by electromagnetic collecting means from the said double layer formation device, while the lifting means: PA1 c) advancing a second rolling-mill stock/layer of rolling-mill stock, while the said rolling-mill stock transfer means with overhead collection operates to place in the packing pocket the double layer of superimposed rolling-mill stock previously removed; PA1 d) stopping of the advancement of the second rolling-mill stock/layer of rolling-mill stock below the said double layer formation device and deposition of the first rolling-mill stock/layer of rolling-mill stock suspended on top of the second rolling-mill stock/layer of rolling-mill stock by the double layer formation device, while the suspended electromagnetic transfer means return above the said lifting means.
The solution of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,270 is however very advantageous since the suspended transfer means never interferes below the advancement line.
These solutions however have a critical restriction of operative packing speed, deriving from mechanical co-ordination solutions between the rolling-mill stock transfer means with overhead collection and the lifting means.
The object of the present invention is to increase the productivity of the plant by means of increasing the speed of the packing phase.